Getting To Like Alex
by Allyson
Summary: Jonathon is forced to spend time with baby Alex


**THE MUMMY – GETTING TO LIKE ALEX.**

**By Allyson Dudley**

(Disclaimer – I do not own 'The Mummy' or any of the characters.)

Jonathon wasn't comfortable around his nephew, Alex, when he was first born. He hadn't had much experience with dealing with young children except for looking after Evy when they were younger and that had been different. He was terrified of holding the baby in case he dropped him, he wasn't allowed alcohol in the house when Alex was home and, to be truthful, until Alex had learned to walk and talk there wasn't much fun to be had listening to a baby cry at three in the morning. Jonathon found it much more interesting and amusing to watch his new brother-in-law, Rick O'Connell, try to come to terms with a child who was probably as stubborn as Evy and also possessed the ability to get into mischief once crawling wasn't a problem. Many times Rick had come walking into a room to find Alex had knocked over a priceless vase or used Evy's lipstick to create some stunning works of art on the bedroom walls.

To be totally honest, Jonathon felt like a spare third wheel since Alex arrived. Evy spent less time with her brother and Jonathon found himself visiting the local bars more frequently in an effort to break up the monotonous days. However, all this was about to change.

It was morning in the O'Connell home and everyone was sat in the kitchen eating breakfast. Or at least trying to. Evy had decided to take it upon herself to make breakfast that morning. Jonathon, who had had previous experience of Evy's culinary delights, had stuck to the burnt toast and butter that she had placed on the table, while he read the paper. Rick, however, wasn't allowed the choice. He was anxiously waiting for something to eat while Evy busied herself at the stove. She wore a frown of intense concentration and paid no attention to what was going on around her. Rick had the job of feeding two-year-old Alex, who was more interested in chewing the corner of his bib than the contents of the bowl in front of him.

"Honey," asked Rick, as Alex stubbornly turned his head away from the spoon being waved in front of his mouth. "Why am I trying to get Alex to eat vegetables for breakfast? Shouldn't he be eating something more like a . . . breakfast?"

"Alex has to learn to like eating vegetables," replied Evy, not turning from where she was frantically trying to hide the fact that she was having to pick bits of egg shell out of the frying pan. "And as you let him off eating them yesterday dinnertime, he's having vegetables for breakfast. Trust me; he'll thank us for it when he's older."

Rick frowned and looked to Jonathon for an explanation. Jonathon merely shrugged his shoulders in dismissal before returning back to his paper. Sighing, Rick turned back to his son's highchair.

Scooping up a spoonful of mashed peas and carrot, he smiled exaggeratingly and wobbled the spoon up and down in front of Alex's mouth. "Here comes the aeroplane . . . open wide." Alex gave his Dad an unimpressed look and refused to open his mouth, causing Rick to spill some of the food onto the floor. "Oops," Rick murmured, glancing over at Evy to see if she had noticed the mess. "Pea over board."

"Rick, watch your language in front of Alex," Evy scolded her husband, absently.

Jonathon burst out laughing at Rick's shocked expression. He laughed even harder when he saw the smug giggling smile on Alex's face, though he was sure the toddler didn't fully understand what had happened.

"Hah, I got you now," exulted Rick, triumphantly, as he took advantage of Alex's open mouth and put a spoonful of mashed up potato in to it. When it looked like Alex had all the intentions of spitting it back out, Rick gave him a warning glare. "Don't even think about it."

Alex obediently swallowed his mouthful of food but refused to open his mouth for more.

"Ta da!" Evy placed Rick's breakfast on the table, a happy smile on her face.

Rick turned to look at his plate and then looked again. The charred remains of two sausages and bacon rashes swam in a yellow gloop of what had once been a fried egg. Plastering a smile on his face, he looked to his wife and found there were the remains of another egg smeared across her apron.

"Gee, honey, this looks . . . great," he managed to say, ignoring Jonathon's muffled snickers from behind his paper.

"Well, don't let it go cold," encouraged Evy, as she began pouring cups of thick black coffee for the three of them. "Darling, you haven't forgotten that I'm going into the Museum today, have you?"

Rick shot her a guilty look as he prodded an unidentified lump of food gingerly with his fork. "Was that today? I've already made plans to get the car repaired after _someone_" – he glared pointedly towards Jonathon who pretended not to hear him – "scratched it. It's the only time I could get it done."

"And I can't possibly miss the anthropology lecture being held today," responded Evy, thoughtfully. She looked towards her brother and made a decision. "Jonathon?" she asked him, sweetly. "Could you look after Alex for me today, please?"

"Me?" Jonathon almost dropped his paper in shock. "But . . . but . . ."

"Oh, please, Jonathon," persisted Evy. "It will only be for a couple of hours and Alex absolutely adores you."

Jonathon looked like he was ready to bolt out of the kitchen door.

"Think about it as repayment for damaging my car," reasoned Rick, in a tone of voice that brooked no argument.

"I don't know the first thing about looking after him!" pleaded Jonathon, panicking.

"You'll be fine," reassured Evy, leaving her seat to pick Alex up out of his chair. "You just need to keep him entertained until I get home."

She placed her son in Jonathon's lap and kissed her brother on the cheek. Alex just stared at Jonathon in a way that looked like he couldn't decide whether to cry or not.

"Well, that's sorted," said Rick, grinning in amusement, as he stood up from the table. "I'd better get going."

Evy looked at his still full plate. "But your breakfast-"

"Delicious. Couldn't eat another bite," responded Rick, smiling endearingly at her before kissing her cheek goodbye. "Have fun kid."

He ruffled Alex's hair before leaving the kitchen. Evy sighed and went about clearing up the dishes. She glanced at her brother and found him still staring at Alex in stunned despair. Alex had decided not to cry and was watching his Uncle in quiet fascination.

"Jonathon, you'll be fine," she repeated. "I'll change Alex before I leave so you won't have to worry about that. Just make sure he doesn't hurt himself or break anything. I'll bring a couple of his toys downstairs and you can just keep an eye on him while you do . . . whatever it is you plan to do today. If he gets thirsty or hungry you know where everything is kept. Honestly, you make it sound like you've never looked after a child before."

"Well that was a long time ago," protested Jonathon, as he stopped Alex from crawling off his lap. "And looking after you was different. For a start you were older than Alex is now. Put you in a sand box with a bucket and spade or give you a book to read and I wouldn't have to worry about you for hours. Somehow I don't think that's going to work on Alex."

Evy laughed as she picked up Alex and left the kitchen, leaving Jonathon to panic alone.

- - - -

Evy had been gone for half an hour and so far everything was going alright. Jonathon sat in the library reading a book while Alex contentedly played with a wooden train and various other toys that Evy had brought downstairs for him.

"Choo-choo!" called out Alex, happily; as he pushed the toy train under a stack of books that Jonathon had piled up to make a crude bridge for him.

A number of Evy's heavy reference books were similarly placed throughout the room to keep Alex occupied. Jonathon knew he'd have to quickly tidy up before Evy returned home or he'd be shouted at for ill-treating her books.

"'N'le Jon, 'N'le Jon," Alex shouted out to Jonathon. "Look, Look!"

Jonathon looked up from his book and almost had a heart attack. Alex had used one of the stack-booked bridges to scale half way up one of the side tables and was now precariously balanced on the edge. The table tipped dangerously with paper documents, books, stationary and other knickknacks beginning to slide off. Jonathon scrambled to his feet as the table began to fall. Alex screamed as he realized he was going to fall. His Uncle managed to pull him out of the way before the table could completely fall over and trap him.

"Good Lord, Alex," gasped Jonathon, gaining his breath. "Are you trying to put me into an early grave?"

Alex continued to cry as Jonathon pulled him into a comforting hug. "I wan' Mum!"

"I know," soothed Jonathon, trying to remain calm. "I want your Mum to be here too." Giving Alex one last hug, Jonathon pulled away slightly. "Okay, Alex, are you hurt anywhere?"

Alex pointed to his knee but didn't stop crying.

Jonathon pulled up Alex's trouser leg to find a small scrape just beginning to bleed. Picking Alex up in his arms, he took him into the kitchen.

"Come on, soldier, let's sort this out before your Mum has my head for it," said Jonathon.

Grabbing a small bandage from the cupboard, he sat Alex on the table and bandaged the small wound. Now that he was certain that Alex was okay, Jonathon allowed himself to feel the panic flowing inside of him. How was he supposed to stop his nephew from crying?

"Err, right . . . well, um, Alex? What will it take to stop you from crying?" Jonathon hoped Alex would help him out but all he got in reply were more sniffling sobs. He looked around frantically. "How about some juice . . . or something to eat?"

Jonathon looked around but could only find the bowl of Alex's left over vegetable breakfast. He couldn't help but turn his nose up at it. Alex stopped crying when he saw his Uncle's expression and the toddler looked puzzled.

"Alex no' bad?" hiccupped the young boy, confusion clear in his voice.

Jonathon looked at his nephew in surprise. The boy obviously thought he was in trouble for creating a mess and was waiting for his punishment. Jonathon gave him a quirky smile, understanding how the boy felt, and ruffled his hair playfully.

"No, Alex. You're not in trouble. If anything we're both to blame," he reassured him. "But your Mum's never going to find out, right?"

Alex gave him an intense look before nodding with wide innocent eyes. When Jonathon handed him a small square of chocolate he'd found in a nearby cupboard, Alex's eyes lit up and his crying stopped immediately.

"You know, for a kid you're okay," commented Jonathon, smiling.

Alex laughed out load as Jonathon picked him up again.

"Come on, you," smiled Jonathon, finally relaxing. "Let's get you back to your toy train."

- - -

Evy returned home an hour later than she had planned – the lecture had over-ran – and was worried when she didn't see her harassed brother when she first entered the front door. Calling out both Jonathon's and Alex's names also failed to provide a response. Trying not to pay too much attention to the worse case scenarios running through her head, Evy started searching the house room by room. When she opened the door to the library she came to a halt in shock.

"What in the world -?"

The library was a mess. Books lay scattered in collapsed heaps throughout the room mingled throughout by Alex's toys. A side table looked like it had been moved, but she couldn't guess why, and all its previous contents heaped into a disorganized pile on top. A plate of half demolished biscuits and two cups sat on the floor – there were both crumbs and juice stains on the rug.

"Oh, Jonathon, really," Evy complained, exasperated.

She moved in further to retrieve the abandoned snack items from off the floor when she stopped again. The object of her complaints was fast asleep in one of the large comfy chairs next to the fire. Snuggled in Jonathon's lap, Alex was also asleep, clutching hold of Jonathon's shirt with tight little fists. In one of Jonathon's hands a fairy tale book lay open and abandoned. Any anger Evy felt towards her brother faded away at the sight in front of her. She quietly moved to Jonathon's side with the intention of taking Alex upstairs but Alex refused to relinquish his grip on his Uncle. Instead, she pulled a throw-over blanket from off a nearby chair and spread it out over the sleeping pair.

"Thank you, Uncle Jonathon," Evy whispered to her brother, as she kissed both him and Alex on the cheek. "I knew you'd be okay."

She quietly left the library, leaving them both to sleep, contentedly.

The End.


End file.
